MSS: Phyllis Reffo

Phyllis Reffo is walking onto the Pepperdine women's swim team at 49 years old. She talks about the challenges of juggling school, swimming and family, while immersing herself in a team of much younger swimmers.

Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Peter Busch: This is the Morning Swim Show for Thursday, September 29th, 2011. I'm your host, Peter Busch, and in the Finis Monitor today we'll talk to Phyllis Reffo. She's a walk on swimmer at Pepperdine University but there's no question, she stands out on the team. She's 49 years old. Phyllis joins us right now in the Finis Monitor from Malibu, California. Hi Phyllis, how are you doing?

Phyllis Reffo: I'm good. How are you, Peter?

Peter Busch: Good. You're sporting the team's spirit today. How did this story start?

Phyllis Reffo: How did it start? I had at first emailed Nick when I found out that I was transferring to Pepperdine from Santa Monica College and I swam with him in Masters the summer prior and I mentioned in my email, I'm excited to join Masters with you as I'm attending Pepperdine in the fall. By the way, I swim SMC Varsity Women's Swim Team for 2010, 2011. What are your cut-off times? Well, he didn't answer my question. He just started sending emails asking for all my information and getting me through the NCAA, and here I am.

Peter Busch: You know, I think a lot of people mistakenly thought including myself that there was like an age limit for Division One athletes but I mean, clearly, you can swim at any age, as long as you still have the eligibility, right?

Phyllis Reffo: I believe so, I think it was predicated on the number of years you had at the university or college and I'm within a limit so, here you go. I believe that's four - you have four years of eligibility and five years at college or university so I have two years left, this year and next.

Peter Busch: Were you always a swimmer.

Phyllis Reffo: No, I started six years ago. I took lessons as a child but then I started doing other things like running and biking, and track and field, basketball and volleyball. I did some mountain climbing, rock climbing and due to some injuries I was no longer able to run or do a lot of the activities I enjoyed doing so swimming was the way to keep up my fitness level. And in the first two years of my swimming, I actually had three operations on my left knee and an operation on my left - on my right shoulder. So I had a knee replacement and reconstructed right shoulder.

Peter Busch: Alright, so some people might be envisioning in their mind a Rodney Dangerfield "Back to School." There is somebody who is a way past their college days and that they come back and they're competing on the team and they're having the blast with the team. What is the reality of your relationship and how you interact with the girls who are even more than half your age, even less than half your age?

Phyllis Reffo: Yeah, a lot of them, I ‘m older than their mother so that's interesting. Well, they've been really great. Very encouraging and supportive, inclusive; they include me on their activities. They're interacting with me all over campus and they seem to be really excited to have me on the team so I find it encouraging and inspiring.

Peter Busch: I know you're a walk on. Do you feel like you're going to be contributing to actual points, you know. What's your goal swimming-wise beyond just being there.

Phyllis Reffo: Well, I'm always looking to improve. My whole purpose in life is to do the best I can everyday and to try to do my best at getting better every day, so I am trying to get better so that I can score some points for the team as well. I don't want to be dead weight for sure.

Peter Busch: You're a model when you were younger.

Phyllis Reffo: Yes.

Peter Busch: Certainly I see why. So was that when you graduated high school, for example, did you have a choice of, should I go to college now on a more traditional route, should I do something worth my career, is that what happened earlier in your life?

Phyllis Reffo: Yes, I've started modeling when I was still in high school and so I had the option to go to Los Angeles and try my hand at it, then from there I got some contracts to go to Europe and then to Japan and I travelled around with modelling.

Peter Busch: It's amazing. We'll never know where life is going to guide us, do we? P

hyllis Reffo: No, I would never even anticipate that at 49 years of age I would be here at Pepperdine University as a walk on swimmer. On something, that's - it's really incredible.

Peter Busch: And you have two daughters yourself now.

Phyllis Reffo: I do. They're Jenna and Tess. Jenna is 14 and Tess is 12.

Peter Busch: Do they come and hangout with the team, too?

Phyllis Reffo: They're busy at school and they have their own activities as well. You know, they're part of the swim team and cross country and they're busy with their school work and when I'm done with school I go pick them and bring them to home and then my other life starts.

Peter Busch: And what are you studying?

Phyllis Reffo: I'm studying sports medicine, Kinesiology. Peter Busch: Coach stay on you about going to class. Phyllis Reffo: I go to class; they don't have to stay on me about that. I'm pretty regimented about it. I show up for the class, sit in my homework, I do my best for the test. It's not easy. It's definitely not easy, especially for an older nontraditional reentry student. It's very difficult especially with all the demands of family life and being mom, you know. Taking the time to study really is a big effort.

Peter Busch: We tend to appreciate the education as we get older, but that really is a lot to balances. So there's a lot to balance when you're a swimmer and a student in college. Throw a family into the mix, and you've got a lot on your plate but respect you for trying, I mean, I have two years of eligibility left. Who knows, maybe someday I'll give it a go again as well.

Phyllis Reffo: Well, good luck to you.

Peter Busch: Well, Phyllis, good luck to you. It's a great story and thank you very much for joining.

Phyllis Reffo: Thank you for having me.

Peter Busch: Alright, that's Phyllis Reffo, joining us from Pepperdine University and that is it for today's show. I'm Peter Busch, reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.